Latoya Giles
Bio
I'm just a single mom tryna make it. Come with me on my journey through life in writing... "A dream deferred is not a dream denied"... "Life is not a crystal stair..."
Stories (83)
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The New Human Resources
Netflix is a streaming service that provides its customers with an abundance of original content. Under the "adult animation" tab is a show: Human Resources. Once you get past the grossness, the situations are relatable. The first few episodes touch on post-partum depression, infidelity and alcoholism. Worth a watch...18+
By Latoya Giles 2 years ago in Critique
Here to There
Here and there and everywhere. Point A to point b. Sometimes I get a little fancy and add in a point C. To have one is OH SO convenient, but not always cheap. Money to keep you going, keep you clean and keep you well. I have one. Mine is my favorite color...baby blue. Mine is also a girl and she has a sunroof to boot!
By Latoya Giles 2 years ago in Poets
Happy Father's Day Mommy!
It is 2023. The price of everything I can think of has risen exponentially. Joblessness rates are high. People are unable to afford to buy a house. Marriage rates are way down, divorce rates are way up. So many households are headed by a female. These issues are not race or culture specific. As a black woman, I would be remiss to not mention how absent fathers are made to seem more prevalent in the African American community. It, in fact, is not. That, though, is a different discussion for a different time. Stay tuned for that perhaps.
By Latoya Giles 3 years ago in Viva
Painted Prose
A picture, whether painted, or captured by a camera, speaks a thousand words; Volumes. Each line and instrument stroke adds more to the conversation. Every single word symmetrically coming together to bring a vision into clear view. I have seen many things through these 38 year old eyes. I have seen pictures that have made me feel warm inside, setting off a physical chain reaction of outwardly positive physical reactions: a smile for instance. A picture can also evoke fear and sadness, triggering a different set of physical effects: tears or a scowl maybe.
By Latoya Giles 3 years ago in Art
#SingleMomChronicles: Spendthrifty
As a single mother, I am always looking for ways to save money, a penny here or a nickel there. Especially with the way these prices is rising every second out here. Children always need things. They gotta eat, have shelter and have clothes to wear. You gotta pay travel expenses like car payment or Uber or maybe the bus. However you and your children travel, there is a price. After all the bills are paid, I still want to take my kids out to have some fun sometimes, you know, create memories`and stuff. Here are a few things I do to save money:
By Latoya Giles 3 years ago in Lifehack
#SingleMomChronicles: Regret, But Not Really
So many stipulations and unspoken rules are imposed on us single moms. Like there is a whole society dedicated to that or something. We are supposed to work full time, cook, have a clean house, be in shape, have our hair done and smile at like, all times. Come on, give me a break! That is crazy and super unrealistic. Just because there are some people in this world that call me "mom", doesn't mean I am not just a regular person. I hate feeling like I am being held to a different, often higher standard. Why? I really would LOVE to know. No one know though.
By Latoya Giles 3 years ago in Confessions
Letter to the Editor
To the Powers that be, Greetings! I hope this letter finds you well. I am bursting at the seems from all the stories I have to tell. A "free" writing platform I found one day somehow. I've been on it a little while, over 2 years now. Short stories, poems, interviews too. The subjects available to write for are quite the array. Every few days or so, a challenge emerges. Oh how interesting they always are, teaching me literary terms I'd never heard before. I have entered challenges, one after the other. I check anxiously, only to see that first place is always another, never this single mother.It is disheartening, if I am being honest and clear. Please, continue to hear me out dear. I am a black single mom, but I am not a statistic. I am not pulling the race card either, in case you missed it. I haven't seen a winner like me though. At least not yet. Is it me? Specifically?? Does my writing suck so much that even after entering challenges for years, I still lose? How do you choose? What specifications, unlisted, do I have to meet? I will continue to compete. Be a graceful loser. Better luck next time and all that. A nice pat on my back: "Go get 'em tiger!"I will. I know life isn't fair but I wanna make sure the scale isn't tipped. Again I will try...*coin flipped*
By Latoya Giles 3 years ago in Poets
